Your contractor CRM in 6 steps
This guide uses HubSpot free since it's the most accessible starting point. The same principles apply to other tools.
1
Create your HubSpot account
Go to hubspot.com and sign up free. No credit card, no trial expiry, the core CRM features are genuinely free forever. When asked what you do, select "Service business" and "Manage and close deals."
Connect your Gmail or Outlook email during setup. This syncs your inbox so emails to customers automatically log in HubSpot, you won't need to manually track conversations.
2
Set up your lead pipeline
In HubSpot go to CRM → Deals → Customize Pipeline. Delete any default stages and create these stages for your contractor workflow:
Stage 1
New Inquiry
Called or filled out form
›
Stage 2
Site Visit
Scheduled or completed
›
Stage 3
Quote Sent
Waiting on decision
›
Stage 4
Scheduled
Job confirmed, booked
›
Stage 5
Completed
Job done, review due
Now when a new lead comes in, create a Deal card and move it through stages. At a glance, you can see exactly where every lead stands.
3
Set up automatic quote follow-up emails
This is where most of the revenue comes from. In HubSpot, you can create email templates and set task reminders. In ActiveCampaign, you can fully automate the sequence.
Here are two follow-up email templates you can use today:
Follow-Up #1, 2 Days After Quote
Subject: Quick follow-up on your [plumbing / HVAC] estimate
Hi [First Name],
I wanted to follow up on the estimate I sent over for [brief description of job].
Do you have any questions about the scope of work or pricing? I'm happy to walk through it or adjust anything if needed.
We have availability next week if you'd like to get this scheduled.
Best,
[Your Name]
[Business Name]
[Phone]
Follow-Up #2, 7 Days After Quote
Subject: Still available for your project, [First Name]
Hi [First Name],
Just wanted to check back in one more time. Totally understand if the timing isn't right, just want to make sure you have everything you need.
If the quote needs any changes or you'd like a different approach, just let me know.
[Your Name]
[Business Name]
[Phone]
💡 Why two follow-ups: Research shows that 80% of sales require 2-5 follow-ups, but 44% of salespeople give up after just one. Two polite follow-ups feel professional, not pushy, and they win jobs that would otherwise go to whoever called back first.
4
Build annual maintenance reminders
This is the automation that creates recurring revenue. After completing a job, set a reminder (or trigger an automation) for 11 months later to reach out about annual maintenance.
Services that work well with this: HVAC tune-ups, water heater flushing, annual plumbing inspection, gutter cleaning, roof inspection before winter.
Annual Maintenance Reminder Template
Subject: Time for your annual [service], [First Name]?
Hi [First Name],
It's been about a year since we completed your [service] at [property address].
Annual maintenance is the best way to prevent costly emergency repairs, and this time of year we have great availability.
Want to schedule your annual check? Reply to this email or call us at [phone].
[Your Name]
[Business Name]
💡 Revenue impact: If you have 150 past customers and 30% book an annual maintenance call at $180 average, that's 45 jobs and $8,100 per year from a single automated email sequence. This compounds every year as your customer base grows.
5
Set up post-job review requests
Google reviews are the most powerful marketing tool for local contractors, homeowners choose contractors almost entirely based on reviews. The problem is, happy customers rarely think to leave one unless asked right away.
Set up an automation: when a deal moves to "Completed" in your pipeline, trigger an email or text 24-48 hours later asking for a review. Keep it short and personal.
💡 Result: Dave, a Columbus plumber, went from 14 Google reviews to 73 in eight months using a simple automated review request text. More reviews = more calls = more jobs.
Full guide to automating Google reviews →
6
Track where your best leads come from
Add a "Lead Source" field to every new contact: Google, referral, yard sign, Facebook, door hanger, etc. After 90 days, look at which sources are producing the most jobs (not just leads).
Most contractors find that Google reviews + referrals produce 60-80% of their revenue. This tells you where to invest more time, not how much to spend on advertising.
💡 Pro tip: In HubSpot, go to Reports → Contact Reports and filter by Lead Source. It takes 2 minutes to see where your best customers come from.